Printing mechanism for typewriting machines



July 24, 1934.

F. H. TREGO 1,967,272

PRINTING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT 0R Fran/r hf Vega.

I ATTORNEY July 24, 1934. F H TREGO PRINTING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet -:2 f

INVENTOR fi'an/r/t Trego.

A ITORNE Y Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnm'rnvc. MECHANISM FOR TrPEwmTmG MACHINES 1 Delaware Application November 9, 1929, Serial No. 405,878

2 Claim.

This invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to improvements in printing mechanism therefor.

In the Varityper writing machine, formerly 5 known as the Hammond, there is provided a type carrier or shuttle which may be operated, to select any desired type thereon, by means actuable by the key-levers; the actuable means being arrested by settable devices also operable by the key-levers.

The actuation of a hammer is subsequently effected to co-operate with the selected type to print the character on a work-sheet. The means operable by the key-levers to set the type shuttle includes a universal bar engaged directly by the key-levers, and an arm extending therefrom to op rate an actuator connected with the type shuttle. The actuator is arrested in various positions to accurately position-the selected type at go the printing point, and the actuation of the hammer is then effected to print on the worksheet. I

Since the printing takes place subsequently to arresting the shuttle actuator and because the g5 key-lever is effective to hold said shuttle actuator against the arresting means through the medium of intermediate mechanism including the universal bar, it is necessary to strain the universal bar at each printing operation to effect the actuation of the printing hammer. This strain not only makes the machine hard to operate but after some usage causes a permanent set of the universal bar which throws the machine outof adjustment.

An object of the present invention is to provide 5 a resilient connection between the key-levers and the type shuttle so that after the shuttle actuator has been arrested, a further, movement of the active key-lever is facilitated, with a minimum of pressure on the key, to effect the actuation of the carriage escapement mechanism and the printing hammer.

In carrying out the invention in the form herein illustrated, the arm which extends from the universal bar to the type shuttle actuator is made 5 resilient so that it may yield to permit a further actuation of the universal bar by the key-lever after the shuttle actuating arm has been arrested, to effect the printing operation of the hammer.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear..

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of the machine showing the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the shuttle actuating mechanism and the arrest ing means therefor; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional top plan view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts throughout the several views.

The machine includes a main frame 10, having a track 11 upon which a carriage 12 is arranged to travel back and forth through the medium of anti-friction rollers or balls 13 co-operating with the rail 11 and a bar 14 of said carriage. The carriage 12 may be guided at its upper end by means including a roller 15 and a guard 16 engaging a bar 1'7 on the carriage.

The carriage is urged in a letter space direction by means including a spring drum. not shown, connected to said carriage by a strap 18. The letter-space movements of the carriage are eifected by escapement mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 19, which is actuated at each operation of the key-levers 20.

The e'scapement 19 is of the usual Varityper construction and is similar to that disclosed in the Sears Patent No. 644,188. It includes an escapement wheel 21 secured to a shaft 22 supported on the main frame 10. A rack 23 on the carriage 12 engages a pinion 24 connected to the escapement wheel 21 to rotate the latter upon each actuation of a dogrocker 25 pivoted at 26 on the machine frame 10 and effective to actuate a dog 27 thereon and a dog 28 supported on a pivoted frame 29.

To actuate the escapement mechanism 19 and thus feed the carriage at each type stroke. Each key-lever 20 is provided with a contact portion 20' which, when the key-lever is actuated about a fulcrum 30, engages a universal bar 31 of a frame 32 to swing the latter about a fulcrum 33. An arm 34 of the frame, when the latter is actu- 95 ated, swings downwardly, engages a tail 28" of the dog rocker 25 to actuate the latter to carry the dog 27 into engagement with the escapement wheel 21, the dog rocker being connected to the dog 28 in the usual way to swing it about 100 'its pivot 35 out of engagement with the escapement wheel. To procure the proper engaging relation between the arm, tail 26 of the dog rocker and the arm 34, the latter is provided with adjustable contact portions or screws 34' and 34.

Upon the return of the actuated key-lever 20 the escapement devices are returned to normal in the usual manner thus effecting a letter space movement of the carriage; the motion of the dog rocker being limited in both directions by adjustable stops 36 and 37.

The printing instrumentalities include a type carrier or shuttle 40, operable in a manner hereinafter described, to select any desired type 41 to be printed on a work sheet 42 supported by feed rollers 43 and 44 of a carriage 12. A hammer 45 at the opposite face of the work sheet co-operates with the types 41 to print on said work sheet. Said hammer may be swung about a pivot 46 by the action of a spring 47, but is normally'held in its ineffective position by the frame 29 of the escapement mechanism, to which frame the hammer is connected by a stud 48.

The type shuttle 40 is supported through the medium of a fin-like member 50 thereon, extending through a slot 51 of an anvil 52 supported on a vertical shaft 52 supported in a bar 53 and a plate 55 secured to the main frame 10.

To actuate the type shuttle 40 the fin 50 has connected thereto a lever 54 secured to a sleeve 56 to rotate about the shaft 52; the sleeve being supported on the bar 53 on which it is maintained by a screw 5'7 which engages a flange 56 at the lower end of the said sleeve.

The shuttle actuating lever 54 may be actuated inopposite directions (Fig. 3) by arms 58 and 58, about the shaft 52; the arms being actuated, one at a time, in a manner hereinafter described to carry the selected type of the shuttle 40 to the printing point. Subsequently the hammer 45 is actuated as above described to cooperate with the selected type to print on the work sheet.

The arms 58 and 58*, which operate the shuttle actuating lever 54, form parts of frames 59 and 59 supported to swing about pivots 60 and 60 on fixed brackets 61 and 61. The frames 59 and 59' also include bars 62 and 62 extending to the middle of the machine and over the keylevers 20 (Figs. 1 and 4), so that if any one of the key-levers to the right of the middle of the machine is actuated it engages the bar 62 to swing the frame 59 against the action of a return spring 63 to swing the upper end of the arm 58 rea'rwardly in Fig. 1 and thus actuate the lever 54 and shuttle 40 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 3). Similarly the arm. 58% may be actuated by any one of the group of key-levers to the left of the middle of the machine to actu ate the type shuttle in the opposite direction.

The arms 58 and 58 are provided at their upper ends with pin-like extensions 64 and 64 re-- spectively, which engage shoulders 65 and 65 respectively, to operate the shuttle actuating le-= ver 54 in opposite direction. Clearance slots 66 and 66 are provided to prevent obstruction of the lever 54 by one of the pins 64 or 64 while said lever is being actuated by the other one of said pins.

To accurately position the selected type at the printing point the shuttle actuating lever 54 is provided with an arm 6'7 which may engage the upper end of any one of a plurality of stop pins 6'! supported in an upper guide plate 58 and the lower guideplate 55. There is one stop rod 6'7 disposed above each key-lever 20 so that when one of the key-levers is depressed the corresponding stop rod is moved upwardly, against the ac tion of a spring 69, to project its upper end into the path of the arm 67* so as to arrest said arm, to position the selected type at the printing point.

It will be remembered that the printing ham mer is actuated after the selected type is at the printing point, and that its actuation is depend ent upon the escapement mechanism 19; the latter being operable by the key-levers 20 through the medium of the frame 32 carrying the universal bar 31.

I have made provision of means whereby further actuation of the key-levers is facilitated afer the shuttle actuating lever 54 has been sirrested by one of the pins 67 so that the escape- .ment 19 may be actuated with a minimum of efiort. To this end I provide in the present form of the invention, a resilient connection between the arm 58 and the frame 59. The arm 58 is pivotally supported on a shoulder screw '70 threaded into an arm 71 of said frame. The arm 71 is provided with a stop '72 against which the arm 58 is normally held by a spring '73, in a housing '74 on the arm 71; one end of said spring pressing against a plunger 75 which bears against the edge of the arm 58; the other end of the spring bearing against a screw 75 by which it may be adjusted so that its pressure is great enough to prevent yielding of the arm 58 until the shuttle actuating lever is arrested by one of the stop rods 6'7. A nut '7"! is provided to lock. the spring adjusting screw 76 in its set position.

The stop 72 is in the nature of a set screw threaded into an ear I8 of the arm '71, and whereby the upper end or each arm 58 and 58* may be adjusted relatively to the shoulders 55 and 65 of the actuating lever 54.

It will be understood that the frame 58 includes parts like those of the frame 58 and that these parts bear the same reference characters with the superscript a. It will further be under stood that by providing each of the springs associated with the arms 58 and 58 with adjusting means the touch of both sets of key levers may be kept equal or uniform in case the springs in themselves are of unequal strength.

It will beremembered that the operation oi the escape-ment is effected after the type shuttle is arrested, and that heretofore the intermediate means between the key-lever and the shuttle IiiIID operating lever 5% had to be strained in order q to effect the actuation of the escapement. Thus it will readily be understood that a fine adjust ment of the screw 3a was required to cause the escapement to function at the proper time. it

will be understood that this fine adjustment oi '2 approximately A turn of the screw (Idea of an inch) made a decided difference in the touch oi the key-levers; this adjustment changing the touch from light to heavy. It will also be understood that due to this fine adjustment it was necessary to file the contact portions 28* or the hey levers 20 to cause the escapexnent to function at the proper time.

With my improved form of resilient means,

between the key-levers 20 and the shuttle actu= ating arm 5d, the adjustment of the screw 3% may have a range of 1 turns without a noticeable changing oi the touch of the key-levers. Due to this increased adjustment of the screw 34 afforded by my improved means, the former need of filing of the contact faces of the keylevers is eliminated.

Having thus described the invention it should be understood that it is not to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated herein, there be= ing variations of the inventionwhich fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:--

1. In a typewriting machine,the combination oi a type shuttle, a hammer to co-operate therewitlzio a horizontally disposed lever to actuate the shuttle, a pivot having a vertical axis about which said lever may be operated, key-levers, a universal bar operable by the key-levers, an arm extending upwardly from the universal bar, a pivot for the universal bar having a horizontal axis, the upper end of the arm engaging the shuttle lever, a spring on the universal bar to press against said arm to cause the latter to move with the universal bar when actuated, means to arrest the shuttle lever to register the selected type at the printing point, said spring permitting a further actuation of the universal bar independently of the universal bar after the shuttle lever has been arrested to permit a further operation of the keylevers, and means operable by the key-levers during such further actuation to eifect the actuation of said hammer.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a type carrier, a pivoted actuating element for said carrier, key levers, a universal'bar frame operable by said key levers and including a rigid upwardly extending arm, a pivoted arm supported by the rigid arm, a housing on said rigid arm, a stop on said rigidarm, a spring in said housing and pressing said pivoted arm against said stop, means to permit an adjustment of said stop, and an adjustable screw in one end of said housing to adjust said spring. 

